Mail chute



Aug. 14, 1934. HOWARD 1,969,848

` MAIL CHUTE Filed Deo. 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheell l Figl l i 7 I l 4 V5 /7 L" INVENTOR Lesgr Howard ATTORNEY Aug. 14, 1934. HOWARD 1,969,848

MAIL CHUTE Filed Dec. 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

H46 @l H47 F/qa l 45 /l 46 I INVENTOR Leger Han/ard Wwf/MOM l'in' Patented ug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES s i i e i 1,969,848g

MAIL CHUTE Lester Howard, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor p to Cutler Mail Chute Co., Rochester, N. Y.,`a corporation of New York v Application December 9, 1932, Serial No. 646,511

7 Claims. (Cl. 193-8) My present inventionrelates to mailhchutes, such as are employed generally to conduct mail matter by gravity through the floors of a building to a collection receptacle below,y the construction being sectional with units -duplicated between the floors, and it has for its object to provide a simple and compact unit of this character that will be convenient in use and having structural details rendering it easily installed. A further object of the invention is to improve the locking means whereby the removable front panels that are occasionally displaced to gain access to the interior of the chute, when clogged or requiring cleaning, are held against tampering. The improvements are directed in. part toward features particularly applicable to the twin chutes that have recently come into use to increase the capacity and aord continuous servicethrough one while the other is out of service for any reason. To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification. y

Figure 1 is a plan Aview of the locking bar.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the locking barwith part broken away. Y

VFigure 3 is a front elevation of a'twinV chute showing the position of the locking-bar.l

Figure 4 is a cross section thru the locking bar. f

` Figure 5 is a sectional plan thru a chute just above the locking bar showing the arrangement of the chute in the bar. n Fig.- 6 is a view similar tothatshown in Figure 3 of a modied form of the invention showing the side covers and to `which modification the succeeding iigureslalso relate. Y

Figure '7 is a view showing one side .of the view shown in Figure 'with the side cover omitted.

Figure 8 isfa sectional plan showing'the neck and ceiling collars at the upper end of thechute.

'Figurem9 is a detail showing the 'manner of connecting Ythe neck and ceiling collars to each ,other and to the chute.

Figure 10 is a cross section thru the locking .bar showing the manner of holding the section `rside ofthe locking bar.

5 -central filler piece between twochutes; 5 A

Inthedrawings the chute is shown asfit would be made whereinl numeral l indicates the back of the locking bar, numeral 2 the doors, and

numeral a chute.

The locking bar ymay be made, as shown. in Figure 1, withY the .back 1 formed withk a flat 60 piece of material having ends 4. and 5 and a center web 6 extending forward. The 'ends`4` and 5 have small viianges 7 and projecting inward at .their upper edges, as shown in Figure 2, and the web 6 is provided with similar flanges 9' and 10 at the upper edge. It will be noted in Figure 2 that the upper portion of the mail chute extending downward into the locking bar bears against the` flanges at the upper edges of the ends andl central web and extends into the upper end of the lower portion of the'chute which extends downward from the locking bar. The upper end of the downwardly extending portion of the chute rests against the innersurfaces of the ends and center web andthe lower end of 75 the upper portionof the chute extends into the lower portion as shown. v

Forming the locking bar in this manner with a common web 6 between the two chute sections makes'it possible to minimize the space-between the two chutes and thereb'yisave at -least one inch in the overall width of a' twin chute. It will be noted that normally the lock bar or door of a locking bar of a mail chute is hinged at one side and the. lock locatedat the opposite orright- 35 hand side and when placing two chutes together it isnecessary to leave suiicient clearance between the chutes to permit thevdoor or bar to open about thehinge. It is therefore' a feature of this invention to hinge both of theV doors of av locking bar at the 'outer edges and vposition the locks at the center, as 'shown in lFigure 2,. The doors are shaped as shownand have projecting lugs-'l1v and 12'at the outer' ends and similar lugs ;13 and 14 at their'inner ends.\ The lugs 95 11 and :12 dovetail over the tongues -15 and 16 i projecting from the ends-4 and 5 and are pivotally mounted thereon' by pinsl'Z--and 18. A tongue, which is similar tothe tongues-15 `and 16, extends from the center web 6 and is pro- 100 vided wit-ha iiange at the outer end over which the doors close; The flange 20 may be .provided with outwardly extending pins 21 and 22thatt in correspondingfholes in the ends of the doors ,to locate the vdoors as they are closed. Locks 23.and 24 are mounted in the doors, as shown iii-Figures `2 and41, and these doors are provided-:with `a lockingbarl 25 `that' maybe turnedfltoai..position behind the edges y of Ythe Iflangef20' toi khold and :lock-the ndoors in the Aclosed position. The upper outer corners of the doors are beveled, as indicated by the numeral 26, and openings 27 are provided in the beveled surface to receive mail or kthe like and it will be noted that mail matter placed thruV the openings 27 will pass downward into the chute.

Y doors with afhinge 29, as shownin Figure 4,

so that it may be moved upward to the position shown Vin dotted lines to fclose the mail opening 27 when it is not desired to use the chute, This lclosure may rest upon projections 30 extending outward from the inner surfaces of v-the doors whenit is desired to openfthe openings 27. It will be noted that by forming the inner cesses 32 and .33 at their outer ends'and lit will Y be noted that the rmoldings at the edges'ofV the chute will pass` thru these irecesses, as shown in.,Figure 5. TheY molding 'at each corner is formed by a flat plate 34 with a small flange,

35atthe inner end, a plate 36 extending backward from the outer end and then forward Vforming a section37 and the end of the section 37 is bent inward and rbackward forming a recess 38 and from the recess 38 this molding extends inward forming asection 39 that holds the inner side of a glassplate 40 thatis held in the molding between the ange 35 and the section 39, as shown. Themail chutes 3, that are held in the locking bar are made with channel shaped members having kforwardlyA extendingvsides 41 and 42, asshown in Figure 5,. and these sides are offset' at the points 43 providing recesses for the members 36 and37. of the moldings and th'e'edges of the sides 41Vand 42 extend into the recesses 38 of the moldings. It4 will be noted that molding of any other type-0r design may be used andthe glass plates and sides ofv the.

channelV shaped member may be heldv therein in any manner desired.

As before stated, therunit is erected between the floor and ceiling, resting upona suitable base 70 containing a suitable short floor chutesection within the'floor (not shown). Vertical angle irons 7l built into the wall-support the chute proper 3 through any'desired connecting means and the locking bar r'rame 1 is fastened to these Inyview` of the succeeding description` irons. of details of a manner of supporting the chute section on thisfframe aswell as the removable glass panels in .the modied general construction of Figse to,12, these arrangements have been omittedifroml the showing `of Figs. 1v to 5. Thereis a head piece 44 at the top of the chute unit suitablyV supported onthe irons 71, which Y, collar, as shown.A in Figures 8 and 9.

design. the neel; collar 46A is attached directly `carries screwed thereto collars 45` to make close and, well-*appearing joints with thefceiling and 46 to Voverhang. the Aupper edges of the removable panel.

In the design shown in Figure k6 the upper ends of thechutes are similar to those shown in Figure 3 except that head 44 vbetween thek ceil-Y ing collar v45 andthejneck collarv46 is eliminated and theceiling collarf is slidable overithe neck to thefside .47 -of the chute,` by nut. screws 48 and the ceilingcollar 45gis attachedfto theneck collarby countersunk screws 4 9. -Itswillbe noted A. closure 28. may bek mountedl onthe insideof the member 2 is indicated at 52a.

Y be held in the molding as shown that the chute may be set up with the collar 46 in place and secured suitably to upright 71 and the collar 45 may be adjusted on the collar 46 to compensate for variations in the height of the ceiling so that a snug t may .be 4obtained. After the collar is in the correct position it may be held by the screws 49.` Constructingvthe collars in this manner makes it possible to hold they neck collar 46 ydirect to the chute and eliminates the cross bar behind the chutes to which the collars are normally held. Thesecollars also provide a very neat appearance at the upper ends of the chutes.

`In this design the moldings at the sides are indicated by the numerals 50 and 51 and the back or channel shaped sections of the chutes by the numerals 52 and 53. The locking bar 2,

'shown in Figure 6, is similar to that shown in Figure and may. be mounted upon the chute with the moldings held therein in a similar manner.v The glass kforming the upper section ofl'the chute, which is indicated bythe lnumeral* 54, rests upon a cross bar 55 positioned inside oi' the locking bar 2 'and rigidly connecting the lower ends of the moldings 50-'51. This bar is provided with aseat 56 upon which the lower' end'of the glass rests and inthe underside of the baris va groove 57 which ts over the upper edge of avplate 58 consisting of a sheet' metal strip similarly rigidly connecting the side walls. 47 ofthe chute channel at their lower ends, the upper edgeof which plate is folded over land thereby reinforced, as shown in FigurelO. In that figure, the lower end fragment of an upper chute section that appears is given the numeral 52 and the connecting section thatkm'eets it from below in a joint within the box-like housing Element 58 is on the lower end of 52. Forming this member in this manner eliminates the special complicated 'cross bar that "is normally used and'thereby provides ak muchY more economic construction. At the back'of the upper chute section 52 is a clip 59 opposite to plate 58 which fitsV over the narrow section 60 ofthe back of the locking bar, fas shown in Figures 10 and 11. This clip may be attached-tothe back of the chute by'any means and yit `will be'noted that as the chute is placed inthe locking bar this clip will pass over the portion 60 of the bar and throw the back of the chute snugly against the back ofthe Vbar so that the back of the chute Willbe rigidly In `the cross'section shownin Figure 12 there is a small space 61 between the two chutes and this islled-by a central filler Vp i'ece 62 which may be in the shape of a channel, as shown,

and'one edge of which Amay be held undera A Tore, provide a very neat appearance.

:rnk this-design-the moldings 51 and 52 are -V formed vwith yfiat square surfaces andthesef-ar'e provided with flanges 65 lthat fit intorecesses 66 in the endsuof the chutes.` The"glass`may At the vsides r'of the chutes 'are covers v67 `and 68 which are "formed as shownin'Figurei-1'2'and fitA ispreferre'd' tormake -the exposed surfaces of these covers black whereas the moldings are chromium plated so that a very attractive chute is provided and this has a black border. These chute covers at the sides may be of any shape or design and may be arranged in any manner.

It Will be understood that other changes may be made in the chutes without departing from the spirit of the invention one of which changes may be in the general design of the front of the bar as it will be understood that this may be made ornamental `instead of plain, as shown. Another may be in the use of other means for hingingand locating the doorsto the bar, another may be in the use of other means for mounting the chute sections in the bar, and still another may be in the arrangement of the letter slots in the doors of the bar as it will be understood that these may be located in any position and arranged in any desired manner. Itwill also be understood that other changes may be made in the details of construction of the-chute parts and these may be formed and arranged in any manner desired.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing description. In use the chute may be provided as shown and the words U. S. Mail placed on the front of the doors or front plates of the locking bar and the chute sections maybe arranged in the barsv as shown and described. By orming the locking bar in one piece or one casting, arranging the central member as shown and described, hinging and locating the doors as shown and described, and offsetting the inner edges of the chute channels to provide space for the molding flanges, makes it possible to reduce the overall Width of a twin chute or of two chutes in combination so that the min--Y imum amount of space is required. It will be noted that either of the doors may be unlocked and opened and the glass sections removed when it is desired to examine the chute or remove mail that may be caught therein, and the particular ararngement of the locks and hinges makes it possible to mount the doors in the space required for the locking bars even if the hinges and locks were not used.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: l y v 1. In a mail chute locking bar, a back formed of one continuous piece with projecting flanges at the center and ends, doors hinged to the end flanges, and means for locking the doors at the center.

2. In a mail chute locking bar, a continuous one piece back having a web extending forward from the center and flanges extending forward at the ends, front plates hinged to the ends of the end flanges, said front plates having letter slots therein, and means locking the ends of the front plates at the center.

3. In a locking bar for mail chutes, a bar having a continuous back extending across two chutes, a flange at the center extending between the chutes, anges at theends, front plates hinged to the flanges at the ends, and means locking the front plates to the iianges at the center.

4. In combination, a continuous one piece locking bar for two mail chutes, bars hinged to the outer ends of the bar, means for locking the said hinged bars at the center of the said continuous one piece bar, mail chutes adapted to be held in the said bar, glass plates at the front of the said chutes, moldings adapted to hold said glass plates, and recesses in the sides of said chutes permitting space for said moldings.

5. In a mail chute, the combination with a supporting frame constituting a housing and upper and lower chute sections jointed together within the housing, the upper section embodying a channel having an open front and a supporting plate bridging the lower end thereof within the housing, of a removable panel for said upper chute section having a transverse bar at its lower end seated upon the plate.

6. In a mail chute, the combination with a fixed upright wall support and a vertical chute section carried thereby and embodying a channel member and a panel closing the front thereof, said panel consisting of moldings cooperating with the side Walls of the channel in a separable joint, of cover plates extending forwardly from the upright support in spaced relation to the side walls of the channel and cooperating with the moldings to conceal the said joints.

7. In a mail chute, the combination with a support, a locking bar frame carried thereby and twin chute sections extending into said frame side by side and provided with removable front panels, of a pair of locking bars hinged to opposite sides of the frame and of the chute sections and having their free ends meeting between the two and provided with key controlled locks.

- LESTER HOWARD. 

